KARACHI – Chairman of Air Karachi and prominent businessman Hanif Gohar has revealed that gold reserves worth $636 billion have been discovered in the silt of Tarbela Dam. He stated that both the Prime Minister and the Chief of Army Staff have been briefed on the matter, and the Army Chief responded positively and promptly.
Speaking to the media at the Karachi Press Club, Gohar explained that divers were deployed to collect silt samples from within the dam. These samples were then analyzed in a laboratory to determine the concentration of gold. The gold content was calculated based on the ratio found in the samples and extrapolated across the estimated cubic footage of the gold-bearing silt. This analysis led to the conclusion that the total value of gold present could reach $636 billion.
Gohar emphasized the urgent need to dredge the dam, noting that Tarbela has not been cleared of silt even once in its 60-year history. He presented his findings to the Army Chief, who assigned the matter to General Sarfaraz, head of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC). Gohar later visited GHQ to brief General Sarfaraz, who then referred the case to the then-Chairman of WAPDA, Sajjad Ghani.
According to Gohar, discussions were held with Sajjad Ghani, during which he proposed that WAPDA undertake the project. However, if WAPDA declines, his company is ready to invest, carry out the dredging, extract the gold, and hand it over to the state. He said they are currently awaiting the government’s response.
He further stated that his team is fully prepared to execute the project. “I’ve held meetings in the Netherlands, where the world’s largest dredging operations take place, and also with our partners in Amsterdam and Canada,” he said. “If the government grants us permission, we are ready to begin immediately. These gold reserves could help Pakistan pay off its national debt.”
In addition to the gold project, Gohar announced that Air Karachi’s domestic operations will commence on March 23, with a fleet of at least three and up to five Airbus aircraft. The domestic phase will continue for one year, after which international operations will be launched.
He also shared that Hyderabad will soon see the construction of its first-ever four-star hotel, spread across five acres. Gohar stressed that Pakistan’s budget deficit cannot be resolved without the growth of the construction industry, adding that Karachi’s development systems are currently operating from the back foot rather than the front.
Hanif Gohar’s multi-sector initiatives—from gold extraction and aviation to hospitality—represent a bold vision for Pakistan’s economic revival.
